DID Press: Former U.S. Special Representative on Afghanistan peace process warned that if reports of large-scale drug cultivation in Pakistan are accurate, the consequences will extend far beyond the region.
Reacting to a recent Telegraph report on Pakistan’s rising narcotics production, Zalmay Khalilzad described the country as the “global poppy capital.”
In a warning message, he wrote: “If true, there are many risks: financing terror and violent groups; increased criminalization of the economy and politics, and increased narcotics addiction of the population.”
Khalilzad stressed that the implications of this development are not confined to Pakistan’s borders but can endanger the security of neighboring states and regions beyond.
He urged the Pakistani government to clarify its policies and actions in response to the threat, asking: “Does Pakistan have a plan to contain this menace?”